About Rohia Monastery
The Monastery of St Anne at Rohia stands on the crest of Dealul Viei (Vineyard Hill), at about 550 m above sea level, in a beech and oak forest above the village of Rohia, in the Lăpuș Land. Its story begins with a loss: in 1922 the village priest, Nicolae Gherman, buried his ten-year-old daughter Anuța and decided to build a monastery in her memory. With the help of hundreds of villagers, between 1923 and 1925 he built a small stone and brick church, consecrated on 15 August 1926, the feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which remains the monastery's patronal feast. The name "St Anne" comes from the little girl.
For a long time it was only a hard-to-reach skete; it grew only after 1965, when the road and electricity arrived. Rohia is best known through Nicolae Steinhardt, author of "The Diary of Happiness": a former political prisoner, baptised Orthodox in Jilava prison, he became a monk here in 1980 and lived at the monastery until his death in 1989. He organised the library on the model of the great public libraries; today it holds over 40,000 volumes and bears the name of Archbishop Justinian Chira, the abbot who founded it.
What you can see
The great church, built between 1996 and 2018 on the site of the old one, combines elements from all the Romanian provinces: a Brâncovenesc porch, a tall tower with Moldavian touches, Gothic windows and a stone and brick façade with mosaics. The interior was painted in fresco between 2012 and 2018. Beneath it lies the chapel of St Nicholas, vaulted like a catacomb, with the oak iconostasis of the old church and the icon of the Mother of God brought from Mount Athos at the founding, held to be miracle-working. The wooden church of the "Maramureș Corner" houses the museum, with old Romanian books and icons on wood and glass, and on the ground floor of the Poet's House Steinhardt's cell is preserved, with his manuscripts, books and furniture. His grave is in the monastery cemetery.
Good to know
It is a working monastery of monks: come in modest dress and keep quiet. On the patronal feast, 15 August, thousands of pilgrims climb up to Rohia.
Information verified on 20 October 2026.
- Nicolae Steinhardt's memorial cell, on the ground floor of the Poet's House, with his manuscripts and books.
- Steinhardt's grave in the monastery cemetery, near that of Anuța, the girl in whose memory the monastery was built.
- The catacomb chapel beneath the great church, with the icon of the Mother of God brought from Mount Athos.
- The Deesis mosaic on the façade of the great church and its tall tower, visible from afar above the forest.
- The museum in the wooden church of the Maramureș Corner, with a Cazania from 1643 and the Bălgrad New Testament of 1648.
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
By car: the monastery is ~9 km from the town of Târgu Lăpuș, above the village of Rohia. From Baia Mare it is ~50 km on the DN18B via Târgu Lăpuș (~1 hour), from Dej ~43 km on the DN18B via Măgoaja or on the road towards Baia Mare as far as Gâlgău and then towards Târgu Lăpuș (~1 hour), from Cluj-Napoca ~105 km via Dej (~2 hours). It combines easily with the wooden church of Rogoz, near Târgu Lăpuș.
Public transport: the nearest railway stations are Baia Mare, Dej and Gâlgău; buses and minibuses run from Baia Mare to Târgu Lăpuș, and from there you continue by taxi.
- Fees & discounts
The monastery does not publish prices for visiting or for the museum; ask at the church shop.
- Rules
Modest dress: shoulders and knees covered, women with their heads covered in the church. Keep quiet within the precinct and switch phones off during services. Photography in the church and the museum only with the monks' permission. Books from the library may only be consulted within the monastery.
- Facilities
church shop at the bell-tower gate · museum and memorial cell · library of over 40,000 volumes · pilgrim accommodation, ~70 beds, in a Maramureș-style wooden house · the precinct is on a hillside, with slopes and steps
Frequently asked questions about Rohia Monastery
- How long does a visit to Rohia Monastery take?
- A visit to Rohia Monastery takes about 1 – 1½ hours (with museum and memorial cell).
- Can you visit Rohia Monastery with kids?
- Yes, Rohia Monastery is suitable for children (modest dress and quiet).
- How do I get to Rohia Monastery?
- Rohia Monastery is located at Rohia no. 18, on Dealul Viei, above the village, Rohia, Maramureș County. By car: the monastery is ~9 km from the town of Târgu Lăpuș, above the village of Rohia. From Baia Mare it is ~50 km on the DN18B via Târgu Lăpuș (~1 hour), from Dej ~43 km on the DN18B via Măgoaja or on the road towards Baia Mare as far as Gâlgău and then towards Târgu Lăpuș (~1 hour), from Cluj-Napoca ~105 km via Dej (~2 hours). It combines easily with the wooden church of Rogoz, near Târgu Lăpuș. Public transport: the nearest railway stations are Baia Mare, Dej and Gâlgău; buses and minibuses run from Baia Mare to Târgu Lăpuș, and from there you continue by taxi.
- When is the best time to visit Rohia Monastery?
- The best season for Rohia Monastery: May – October (very crowded on 15 August).
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